Signature assembling apparatus



y 5, 1970 c. R. LINDEN 3,510,119

SIGNATURE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 25. 1967 Sheets-Shet 1 May 5, 1970 G. LINDEN S IGNATURE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 23. 1967 F'IGZ.

May 5, 1970 G. R. LINDEN SIGNATURE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed 001;. 23. 1967 QOWN NNN mWOE United. States Patent 3,510,119 SIGNATURE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Gosta R. Linden, Park Ridge, N..l., assignor to Miel le- Goss-Dexter, Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 677,258

lint. Cl. 365k 39/02 US. Cl. 270-54 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for removing successive signatures of a particular type from a stack and delivering the same to an assembling point for introduction in the proper position into a collection of signatures that are to be bound into a booklet or magazine or the like. The particular signatures involved have a free edge of paper extending beyond all other layers included in the folded signature. The apparatus includes a turnover device in the path of movement of the particular signatures from the stack to the assembling point, thereby enabling these signatures to be bound into the booklet along a free edge, While other signatures delivered to the assembling point from other stacks are bound in along a folded edge.

This invention relates to apparatus for the high speed assembly of signatures to be bound in any suitable Way to form a book, booklet or the like. It is particularly concerned with the assembly of signatures for the high speed production of booklets or magazines where some signatures are gate folds. These signatures have a free edge of paper extending beyond the rest of the folded layers and have this free edge bound into the booklet or magazine. Such signatures have been folded to provide a plurality of integrally connected layers that are adapted to be unfolded to form a single large page in a bound booklet or magazine.

In the automatic assembly of the various signatures required to complete each of a large number of books or booklets, it has been found desirable to provide a series of units in alignment with each other, each of the successive units being adapted to deposit in a raceway, having a conveyor chain provided with pusher pins, a particular signature carrying certain pages of the final booklet. Each unit is continuously supplied with a stack of the signatures to be handled by it, and the stacks of signatures provided for the successive units are, of course, of the character which will provide the desired sequence in the assembly of the successive pages of the booklet.

The present invention relates to rapidly operable means for removing the signatures reliably, one by one, from the stack dealt with by each unit, and the delivery of the successive signatures in the proper position to the raceway along which the pusher pins of the conveyor chain advance the delivered signatures from one unit to the next. Thus, signatures are delivered one on top of the other, from the successive units. To achieve the necessary high speed assembly of the signatures required for a booklet, and more particularly one of the type having at least one signature adapted to be unfolded in the manner mentioned above, it has been found necessary to bring into the construction of the particular unit supplying said signature a special combination of features. These include a cylinder provided with gripping means adapted to pick up successive signatures from a stack, with the grippers cooperating with a folded edge of the signature. A transfer cylinder is then provided to remove signatures successively from the first mentioned cylinder, by cooperating with the advancing folded edge and to convey them toward a collecting raceway. The particular unit being discussed is further provided with a turnover cylinder which is adapted to pic-k ofl? the successive signatures from the transfer cylinder by their folded edges and then deposit them in inverted relation onto the groups being assembled on the conveyor moving along the raceway. This serves to place the free end of the extended single layer of such signatures in alignment with the folded edges of the signatures deposited by other units of the series.

While the invention makes possible the rapid assembly of signatures for the production of booklets, of the character mentioned, With the employment of only one raceway and conveyor for the several units, it has been found necessary in many instances, where exceptionally high speed operation is required, to provide tWo separate raceways and conveyors for the aligned series of units. When this is done it is necessary to provide each unit with two transfer cylinders and two turnover cylinders to cooperate with the gripper cylinder that removes the signatures from the stack. Two separate gripper means provided on the gripper cylinder will then be adapted to deliver the successive signatures alternately to one raceway and then the other.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a gathering machine constructed in accordance with the invention, this view being taken in the region in which driving connections are provided between various driven ele ments of the machine;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the machine, taken in regions in which certain cam members are provided for causing the operation of gripper elements incorporated in the machine;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a number of gathering units or machines, at least one of which is intended to be constructed in accordance with the invention, the units being positioned along a line parallel with a conveyor means, each unit being adapted to deliver a signature from a stack to signatures that have been gathered and delivered from other units for subsequent stitching or binding into a booklet or the like;

FIG. 4 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, showing the construction of the turnover mechanism embodied in the machine; and

FIG. 5 is a view showing the tubing used in the machine for imparting a vacuum to the suction devices embodied in the turnover mechanism of the machine.

Referring firstly to FIG. 3 of the drawings, it will be noted that a series of units, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and are shown as being arranged along a line parallel with means for carrying and advancing signatures delivered by the various units and discharging them at a suitable point after the various signatures required for a particular booklet have been assembled. The supporting and conveying means mentioned comprises a smooth-surfaced raceway designated R having an opening extending across the various units, A, B, C, etc., through which pusher pins K, carried by a chain L, are continuously advanced during the operation of the apparatus. The pins K, generally referred to as raceway pins, are spaced apart sufitciently to allow signatures to be dropped freely into the space between adjacent pins. They are not necessarily spaced as far apart as the longitudinal center lines of the respective units, A, B, C, etc. In a typical arrangement of a plurality of units, the center lines of the units are spaced 30 inches apart, while the successive pins K are spaced only 19 /2 inches apart. This is simply an example of the relationship that may be employed. The chain L is carried around a series of sprockets M M M and M the sprocket M being suitably driven from the same power source which drives the various units in the typical construction being described. The driving sprocket, in the example specified, is provided with 26 teeth which serve to advance the chain L with its pins K a distance of 19 /2 inches per revolution of said sprocket. This is because the chain L has links which are of 4 inch length. The driving sprocket M is given one revolution for each cycle of operation of unit A which delivers a signature from a supply stack to the raceway. Each of the other units, B, C, D, etc., will be operated at the same speed, but they will be at a different point in a cycle of operation from unit A. Thus, in the illustrative example, considering unit A as being at in its cycle at the time it has released signature S for deposit in the raceway, unit B will be at 194 rearward in its cycle, i.e., it will be a little more than half a cycle behind unit A. Each of the other units will correspondingly be at 194 rearward in their cycle from the unit directly to the left. This means that unit C would be at its 28 point in its cycle in relation to unit A, and so one. By the time the leftmost pin K shown in FIG. 3 reaches the position K the signature S will have come to rest on the surface R of the raceway, as shown at S In the meantime, a signature will have been dropped by unit B into a position in advance of the pin K and will have been pushed along by the latter toward unit C. This unit, as shown, has already released its signature S which will then be deposited on the top of signature S It will be understood that a similar situation exists in relation to the other units shown, so that when the pin K reaches the position of pin K shown in FIG. 3, it will be pushing seven layers of signatures toward the right for delivery to the desired point for binding into a booklet or magazine.

In accordance with the present invention one or more of the units, A, B, C, etc., may be of the character hereinabove mentioned, i.e., it will incorporate the turnover mechanism which serves to place a single free edge of a particular signature in the region in which the folded edges of other signatures are provided and along which the binding will take place.

Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 2, these show a unit or machine of the character above-mentioned, which is provided with two turnover mechanisms in a structure adapted for high speed operation and having a dual raceway to speed up the gathering operation.

The machine illustrated has a frame 10 which carries the various devices required for the handling of signatures and the delivery of successive copies of the same alternately to one and then the other of two raceways. As shown toward the right end of FIG. 1, the frame is provided with a shelf 11 adapted to support a stack of signatures 12 to be distributed. All of the signatures have their lower ends folded, as shown in the drawings, and the stack of signatures preferably is urged toward the left, by well-known mechanical means not herein shown or described, against a wall 13 of the frame. This wall has an opening 14 at its lower end so as to enable the signatures to be successively pulled toward the left and then drawn downwardly by the mechanism within the machine for subsequent delivery to one or the other of the raceways designated 15 and 16.

The mechanism for removing successive signatures from the stack 12 includes one or more sucker elements 17 secured to a rockable shaft 18 carried by the machine frame. Suitable connections are provided for rocking the sucker elements from the lefthand position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 into the righthand position shown in those figures and then back to the initial position. This may be done, for example, by a three-armed lever 17a secured to the shaft 18 and normally spring urged in a clockwise direction by a spring 17b to cause a roller 17:: to engage the periphery of a cam member 17d. The latter is suitably mounted for rotation with a drive shaft 20. Cam 17d serves to cause two reciprocatory movements of the sucker elements 17 upon each revolution of the shaft 20. The cup elements 19 at the lower ends of the suckers are connected with a vacuum source, in a manner well known in the art, at the time the cup elements are brought into engagement with the lower folded portion of the signature to be removed from the stack.

The shaft 20 is driven by an suitable connections from a power source, and when it is operated all of the related mechanism of the machine will be driven in properly timed relation to produce the desired results. As best shown in FIG. 1, there is mounted on and secured to the shaft 20 a gripper cylinder 21 provided with two separate series of gripper elements 22 and 23. These elements are arranged to be rotated through a suitable angle about their supporting axes 24 and 24'. The gripper element 22 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in its inactive position, whereas gripper element 23 is shown in its active position, serving to grip the folded lower end of the signature that has been drawn into its path by the sucker elements 19. To provide the gripping action, the free end of element 23 forces the folded lower end of the signature against a gripper pad 23', thus serving to firmly grip said end of the signaature and cause the latter to move along with the gripper as the latter is carried in its circular path by the cylinder 21.

A plurality of grippers 22 will be provided in axial alignment and secured to an oscillatable shaft or stud 24. A pinion 25 secured to the shaft is adapted to cooperate with a toothed segment portion at the outer end of a pivotally mounted element 26. This is pivotally carried by means of a pin 27 on a rotary disk 28 secured to the shaft 20. Said disk may, if desired, be an end wall of the cylinder 21. A spring 29' having one end connected with a pin secured to disk 28 and its other end connected with a pin carried by the element 26 serves to rock the latter in a clockwise direction (FIG. 2) to engage a roller 30 carried by element 26 with the peripheral surface of a cam 31 that is retained in fixed position in relation to the frame of the machine, but is preferably adjustably mounted thereon. As shown in FIG. 2, the cam 31 serves to retain the element 26 in the position shown until the roller 30 reaches the sloping shoulder 31' on the cam. At this point the spring will rock the member 26 in a clockwise direction into the position shown for a corresponding element 26a which will be later described. This rocking of the member 26 will cause the pinion 25 to be quickly rotated and thus carry the series of grippers 22 into a position in which their free ends will seize the folded edge portion of the signature that has been drawn into its path by the operation of the suckers 17, and this portion of the signature will be urged in gripping relation against a gripper pad 22. As the cylinder 21 and disk 28 continue to rotate, the signature thus gripped will be pulled out of the stack 12 and carried around to a position for delivery to transfer cylinder 32. The latter is secured to a shaft 33 which is driven at the same angular speed as the shaft by the connections shown in FIG. 1. These include a gear 20a, secured to shaft 20, which meshes with a gear 34a mounted on a shaft or stud 34 carried by the frame of the machine. A toothed pulley or sprocket also secured to shaft 34 is connected by a toothed belt or a chain 34b with another sprocket or toothed pulley secured to the shaft 33.

The gripper elements 23 are mounted and arranged to be driven in a similar manner to the gripper elements 22. A plurality of the elements 23 in parallel relation may be secured to a shaft or stud 24 carried by the rotary disk 28. A pinion 25' secured to the stud 24' meshes with a toothed segment at the end of a pivoted member 26a which is rockable about a pin 27a carried by the disk 28 or a separate disk parallel with the latter. A roller 30a carried by the element 26a cooperates with the periphery of a cam 31a held in fixed position similar to the cam 31. It is of the same contour as the latter in the region in which the roller 30a is shown in FIG. 2. However, as shown by the broken line 31a, it has a greater arcuate portion of reduced diameter than does the cam 31. This, as will be explained, is to enable it to carry the signature which the gripper has picked up into a position for delivery to an upper transfer cylinder.

Returning now to the action of the gripper 22, this has served to carry the signature which it has previously picked up around to the point of tangency of gripper cylinder 21 with the transfer cylinder 32. The signature thus delivered is indicated at 12a in FIG. 2. As it was carried by the gripper 22 to the point of tangency of the latter to the periphery of the transfer cylinder 32, the roller 30 on segment 26 reached the surface 31" and was cammed outwardly by the latter to quickly swing the gripper 22 from its active position to its inactive position shown in FIG. 2. Just prior to the abovementioned swinging of the gripper 22, a gripper pivotally carried by the transfer cylinder 32 will have been rocked downwardly into engagement with the folded edge of signature 12a to cause the latter to be carried around by the cylinder 32 to the turnover mechanism to be hereinafter described. The means for shifting the gripper 35 into and out of its active position is simpler than that required for the gripper 22. Thus gripper 35 is mounted on a shaft or stud 36 and is urged about the axis of the latter into the active position by a spring 37, one end of which is connected with a pin 37a secured to the cylinder 32. The opposite end of spring 37 is connected with a pin 37b carried by an arm 38 extending inwardly from the pin or stud 36. Gripper 35 and arm 38 are connected together to rock in unison so that spring 37 urges the end 35a of the gripper against a pad 35b. At its inner end the arm 38 carries a roller 38a which cooperates with a cam 39 that is mounted on shaft 33 but is held in fixed position so as not to rotate with the cylinder 32. It will be seen from FIG. 2 that the roller 38a has passed from the portion r of cam 39 having a large radius to a portion having a reduced radius. This is what has caused the outer end 35a of the gripper to engage the folded edge of the signature 12a in the manner mentioned above. At a later point in the cycle of operation, the roller 38a will be shifted slightly against the action of the spring 37 to cause the gripper 35 to release the signature and enable it to be picked up by the turnover mechanism to be described. This is when the roller reaches the surface 39a of the cam. The enlarged radius of the cam will serve to retain the gripper 35 in inactive position until roller 38a reaches the surface 3% of the cam, which is at the time the gripper is ready to receive another signature from the gripper 22.

It should be understood in connection with the foregoing that a plurality of grippers 35 may be provided in axial alignment with each other and that these will be located in different vertical planes from the grippers 22 on the cylinder 28. This will avoid any interference between the two sets of grippers. From the gearing and the other driving connections between the gripper cylinder 21 and the transfer cylinder 32, it will be noted that the two cylinders are revolved at the same angular speed. However, the cylinder 21 is of somewhat larger diameter than the cylinder 32 so that the speed of movement of the grippers and the signatures with which they are en gaged will be slightly greater when the grippers 22 are active than when the grippers 35 are active. This insures the proper delivery of the signatures by the closed grippers 22 to the open grippers 35. These two sets of grippers are active upon a particular signature for only a small fraction of a second so that no appreciable movement is being imparted to the signatures by both sets of grippers at any time. Means are preferably provided for adjusting the cams which control the grippers to make certain that the timing of their operation is proper.

In the operation of the machine the gripper cylinder 21 will pick off a signature from the stack 12 upon each half revolution of the cylinder. One of the signatures so removed from the stack will be delivered to the transfer cylinder 32 whereas the next one will be delivered to an upper transfer cylinder 40 carried by a shaft 41. The latter is provided with gripper elements 42 similar to the gripper elements 35 of the lower transfer cylinder, and they are operated in the same manner. However, the portion of a rotation of the upper transfer cylinder during which the gripper elements 42 are in their active position is greater than is the case with respect to the grippers 35. This is to enable the gripper 42 to pick up a signature from the grippers 23 on the cylinder 21 at the time these two sets of grippers are in the region of tangency of the two cylinders, and the signature so picked up by the grippers 42 must be retained through an angle of about 270 to enable delivery of the signature to the related turnover mechanism. This is brought about by the cooperation of roller 42a, carried by an inwardly extending arm connected with the grippers 42, with a cam 42d secured to the frame of the machine in a manner to hold the cam in a fixed position, although preferably adjustable to a certain extent. As will be seen from FIG. 2, the cam 42d has a portion extending outwardly from the axis of shaft 41 to a maximum distance over an arc of somewhat less than As a result of this, the grippers 42 will be shifted into an inactive position and retained in such position only during rotation of the transfer cylinder 40 through an angle of about 90. This is the period from the time at which the signature retained by the grippers 42 would normally be dropped into raceway 15 and up to the time that the grippers 42 are then brought into tangent relation to the gripper cylinder 21 for the reception of another signature from the grippers 23. It will be understood that a number of the units A-G will not be provided with a turnover mechanism, so that the transfer cylinders 32 and 40 will deliver the signatures handled by these units directly to the raceways 16 and 15, respectively.

As has been stated, an important feature of the present invention is the provision of a turnover mechanism in connection with each transfer cylinder provided in the special machine or unit forming one or more of the group A-G. This serves to deliver the successive signatures dealt with by the dual raceway unit under discussion into first one and then the other of the two raceways, with the free edges of the signature toward the right (FIG. 1) and the folded edges toward the left. This, as has been explained, enables the particular signature being handled by the unit of this invention to be bound into a booklet in a manner enabling the signature to be unfolded for the production of a single large sheet whenever desired.

Since the turnover devices used in connection with each of the two transfer cylinders 32 and 40 may be identical, although timed somewhat differently in relation to its particular transfer cylinder, only one typical form of the turnover mechanism will be described in detail herein. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the turnover mechanism is indicated generally as 44. It comprises two supporting elements or brackets 45, one at each side of the unit as shown in FIG. 4, these bracket elements being suitable secured to portions of the frame structure of the machine. A rotary shaft 46 is provided, this being rotatable in suitable hearings in the bracket elements 45. Connections from the main shaft of the machine are provided for driving the shaft 46 at twice the speed of rotation of the main shaft. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 1, the shaft 41 which carries and drives the upper transfer cylinder 4% is provided with a gear 48 which meshes with a pinion 49 mounted on a separate shaft 49a. Also secured to the shaft 49a is a sprocket 4% which is connected by a chain with a sprocket 51 secured to the shaft 46. The pinion 49 which meshes with the gear 43 is only half the diameter of the latter so as to bring about the double-speed rotation of the turnover device as compared with the speed of rotation of the main shaft of the machine.

FIG. 4 of the drawings illustrates in some detail the various parts incorporated in the turnover mechanism 44 above described. As stated above, it has two bracket members 45, one adjacent each end of the unit, for attaching the turnover mechanism to the frame of the machine. Portions of the frame 10 to which the device is attached are shown. It will be noted that the main shaft 46 is of substantial length and extends through and somewhat beyond each of the bracket members 45. At suitably spaced positions along the shaft 46, it has secured thereto the suction elements 47a which, in the course of operation of the turnover device, will pick the signature from the transfer cylinder and turn it over before it is deposited into the associated raceway. Adjacent the right end of shaft 46 there is secured thereto the sprocket 51 which is connected by chain 50 with the sprocket 4% on the shaft 49a. As above explained, it is through this connection that the shaft 46 is given two revolutions for each revolution of the main shaft of the apparatus. Adjacent its left end the shaft 46 is supported by a bearing unit 52, while adjacent its right end, it is similarly supported for high speed rotation by a bearing unit 53. The two bearing units and the parts connected with shaft 46 are so arranged as to retain the shaft against any appreciable longitudinal movement.

Near the lefthand end of the shaft 46 there is mounted a valve member 54 for controlling the application of suction at the desired time to the suction elements 47a. Valve member 54 is held against rotation with the shaft 46. Nozzle 55 which is connected at its outer end with a suitable vacuum producing source, through tubing 55' shown in FIG. 5, extends into an opening 54a of member 54, and this opening communicates with a channel 54b which extend along an arc of substantial length in the right hand face of valve member 54. This channel is closed on its outer face by a disk 540 having a hub portion which cooperates with a pin 46a extending radially from the shaft 46. A flexible tube 56 connected with an opening 54d through the disk 546 places the channel 54b in communication with the series of suction elements 47a whenever the opening 54d through the disk registers with the channel 54b. Flexible tube 56 is connected with the left side of the leftmost suction element 47a, while the righthand side of the latter is connected by another flexible tube 56a with the next suction element, and a further flexible tube 56b serves to connect the latter with the righthand suction element. The arcuate length of the channel 54b in the valve 54 is such as to insure the application of suction to the elements 47a from the time that these elements are positioned radially outwardly from the related transfer cylinder 32 or 40 until the elements 47a reach a position in which they will properly drop a signature into the related raceway.

It will be understood that the timing of the operation of the gripper cylinder, the transfer cylinders, and the two turnover devices of the machine or unit shown in 8 FIGS. 1 and 2 is such as to insure depositing of a signature in inverted relation onto each of the two collections being assembled on the two raceways, from the series of units AG, to form two booklets.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the advancing of a collection of signatures from one unit to another, of those designated A, B, C, etc., in FIG. 3, is brought about by raceway pins 57 carried by conveyor chains or the like 58, these corresponding with pins K and chain L of FIG. 3. The arrangement is such that a raceway pin 57 will be provided at spaced intervals on each of the conveyor chains 58. Each conveyor chain 58 is so arranged that its upper course will be of the length required to move the collected signatures across the width of the group of units A, B, C, etc., and its return run will carry the raceway pins successively back to the proper position in advance of unit A.

It will be appreciated that the raceway pins 57 and the conveyor chain 58 will have different paths of movement, in parallel relation, for operation upon and advancing the assembled signatures along the two raceways and delivering each of the collected groups to a station for delivery to a stitching or book binding apparatus.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be understood that modifications may be made in various portions of the mechanism within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for assembling folded signatures to be bound into book type form which comprises a series of units arranged in parallel relation, each unit having means comprising a rotating cylinder provided with gripper means for removing successive signatures from a related stack and conveying the same, said first mentioned means being adapted to successivefully deliver signatures from said related stack in desired position to an assembling point, said first mentioned means of certain of said units being adapted to deliver successive signatures with a folded edge thereof disposed in one direction, and at least one of said units having incorporated in said first mentioned means a means for inverting signatures removed from said rotating cylinder and arranged to deliver successive signatures to the assembling point with a folded edge thereof disposed in the opposite direction.

2. Apparatus for the character set forth in claim '1 in which a second rotating cylinder provided with gripper means is adapted to remove signatures from said first mentioned rotating cylinder and convey the same toward the assembling point, said means for inverting signatures being arranged to remove signatures from said second rotating cylinder and invert the same before delivery thereof to the assembling point.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 including another rotating cylinder similar to said second rotating cylinder arranged to grip the folded edge portion of certain signatures as they are conveyed by said first rotating cylinder through a different region from that in which other signatures are gripped by said second rotating cylinder, and means cooperating with said other rotating cylinder for removing the signature from the latter and inverting the same in relation to its position on said other rotating cylinder and depositing the signature at a second assembling point.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which said first mentioned and second rotating cylinders are rotated at the same angular speed, said first cylinder being of greater diameter than said second cylinder.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which said means for removing the signature from said second rotating cylinder comprises rotating suction means.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which said rotating suction means is revolved at a substantially higher angular speed than said second rotating cylinder.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which said rotating suction means has suction imparting elements that are moved through a cylindrical path of substantially smaller diameter than that of said second rotating cylinder.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which all of said rotating cylinders are rotated at the same angular speed, said first cylinder being of greater diameter than either said second cylinder or said other cylinder.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which said means cooperating with said second rotating cylinder and said other rotating cylinder are both rotating suction means,

each being arranged to cooperate with its related rotating 1 cylinder.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 in which both of said rotating suction means are revolved a number of times for each revolution of the related rotating cylinder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS U.S. Cl. X.R. 

